There are a number of situations during the construction of documents to be mailed where variably imaged parts or selectable inserts are gathered together to form a self-contained mailer, or to be inserted into an envelope or like package. Once-the parts/inserts have been gathered and formed into a self-contained mailer or inserted into an envelope, it is difficult to know whether the correct inserts or parts are provided in the final product, which is "sealed". If the correct parts are not provided, of course, it can be futile to send out the business form since the recipient will not have proper information, a reply envelope, coupons, or other information or elements designed to be transmitted to the recipient.
Some systems attempt to solve this problem by using detectors to sense and match the individual parts/inserts prior to construction of the package to be mailed. However, this typically requires multiple detectors and/or can have an adverse affect on the speed of forming the final mailable packages, both of which are obviously undesirable, and mistakes can still occur.
According to the present invention, a multi-part business form is provided which can easily be acted upon to determine whether or not all of the desired parts thereof are properly provided in the mailable package, and a method is provided for determining whether the correct business form parts have been provided in an outgoing package containing a plurality of parts. According to the present invention it is possible to form the mailable packages in an entirely standard manner, without any adverse affect on the speed of construction, or without requiring additional steps during construction.
According to one aspect of the present invention a method of determining whether the correct business form parts have been provided in an outgoing package containing a plurality of parts is provided, the method utilizing a magnetic detector capable of detecting magnetic toner within the package. The method comprises the following steps: (a) Imaging predetermined detectable indicia with magnetic toner on predetermined portions of each of the business form parts, the indicia located at a different position on different parts. Then (b) forming the business form parts into a package so that the detectable magnetic toner indicia is covered by at least one sheet of material. Then (c) moving the magnetic detector and package with respect to each other so that the magnetic detector is positioned to sense the detectable magnetic toner indicia within the package. And then (d) sensing the detectable magnetic toner indicia within the package to determine whether all the correct parts are properly in the package by determining whether all business form parts within the package have the predetermined magnetic toner detectable indicia on the predetermined portions thereof. Step (a) is practiced during normal printing of the business form parts, e.g., with a Midax printer, which normally prints with magnetics toner, the printer imaging alphanumeric indicia on the parts at the same time as the detectable indicia are imaged. The detectable indicia is typically in the form of rectangles or like patterns of dense magnetic toner, while the alphanumeric indicia being imaged on other portions of the business form at the same time is in much less dense form.
The method according to the invention also comprises the further step, in response to step (d), of rejecting a package if it is determined that the package does not have the predetermined magnetic toner detectable indicia on the predetermined portions thereof, i.e., if less than the correct parts are in the package. Preferably step (a) is practiced to image the dense detectable indicia so that the indicia is disposed in a substantially straight line, and step (c) is preferably practiced by moving the package with respect to the detector in a substantially straight line, in alignment with the detectable indicia substantially straight line.
The different parts may be maintained in normal sheet configuration as "inserts", or may be folded about fold lines to provide a multi-ply folded form, the plies of which may be adhesively connected, or merely unconnected "inserts". Step (b) may be practiced by inserting the multi-ply folded form into a mailing envelope, or by folding the parts about fold lines to provide a self-contained package in the form of a mailer. Step (a) may be practiced by imaging the magnetic toner detectable indicia on non-consecutive portions of the business form parts.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a multi-part business form is provided. The business form comprises: At least first and second business form parts, positioned in aligned relationship to provide a mailable element. Dense patterns of magnetic toner imaged on the parts, the pattern on the first part being at a different position than the pattern on the second part. And alphanumeric indicia of magnetic toner imaged on the parts in a less dense form than the dense patterns.
The dense patterns are preferably imaged on parts at positions such that when the form parts are aligned, the patterns are in a straight line configuration, with the dense patterns (e.g., solid toner rectangles) immediately adjacent one another. The parts may be folded about fold lines, and the folded parts may be disposed in a mailing envelope or may comprise a self-contained mailer. Typically, at least first, second and third parts are provided with the dense patterns in a straight line configuration. The dense magnetic toner patterns on the first, second, and third parts may be disposed so that they are not in linear sequence from one part to the next, although in a linear configuration in the multi-ply form.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an advantageous method of determining whether the correct business form parts have been provided in an outgoing package containing a plurality of parts, and a business form for use in the method. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.